Pump and the like



1944- J. w. TUCKER 2,364,111

PUMP AND THE LIKE Filed March 20, 1942 4 Sizzts-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Dec. 5, 1944. J. w. TUCKER PUMP AND THE LIKE Filed March 20, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT-OR.

Dec. 5, 1944- J. w. TUCKER PUMP AND THE LIKE Filed March 20, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 0/672 e7 Dec. 5, 1944. J, w. TUCKER PUMP AND THE LIKE Filed March 20, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 LlHl il 8 V INVENT OR. 2 /fl.7

Patented Dec. s, 1944 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMP AND THE LIKE John W. Tucken'Chicago, Ill. Application March 20, 1942, Serial No. 435,450

4 Claims.

This invention has to do with a diaphragm type pump.

One feature of this invention is the provision of a diaphragm type of pump or compressor, in which each diaphragm is actuated by a radial piston-like arrangement, (hereinafter sometimes called piston diaphragm unit) but in which a crank case has been eliminated, and there is no offset connecting rod on a crank shaft. The arrangement is such that connecting rods for a plurality of the diaphragms, comprising a unitary assembly, have a single bearing surface on the crank shaft arm which accommodates all of the piston rods.

Applicant provides a construction which is compact, easily, quickly and accurately assembled, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The device is designed to be operated by any suitable power means, but is especially adapted for driving by an ordinary electric motor.

The piston diaphragm assembly provided by applicant comprises an improvement over other devices, in that the load is balanced and an excessive load may be avoided by certain arrangements disclosed in this application. For example, by the use of a combination arrangement, comprising three diaphragm piston unit assemblies, only one piston diaphragm unit will be at full stroke at a time, and thus a small sized motor, large enough to run one piston diaphragm unit, will generally "be large enough to run all three about equally well.

I have provided an improved system of combining the various units of my device, the improvement including mounting rings which are quickly and easily manufactured at an inexpensive price. Cooperating with the mounting rings is a connecting rod assembly, above mentioned, which is adapted for use with a variable number of piston diaphragm units.

The arrangement is such that one mounting ring assembly on the unit will be interchangeable with another mounting ring assembly having provision for additional piston diaphragm units, and additional units may thus be incorporated into the construction when the pump is used for a different type of work. This means that one basic construction, for various pumping capacities, is attained with little difiiculty, by making a simple change. a.

I have provided an improved valve arrangement which is inexpensive, but efficient.

Another advantage ofmy invention isthat the connections from the piston diaphragm units to the outlet manifold may be by flexible hose units or the like, which do not have to be accurately manufactured to a small degree of tolerance, and which provide for easy assembly that would be absent if a rigid piping were used.

Another advantage of my invention is the provision of cooling fins on each piston diaphragm unit. These eliminate heat and thus prevent excessive heat development, and makes for greater efliciency. The cool gases are not as expanded as hot gases, and thus, capacity by pumping cool gases is somewhat greater. Since the heat is conducted away rapidly by the cooling fins, the amount pumped in my unit is comparatively greater than that of other units not having such a cooling arrangement.

Another feature of my invention is the provi sion of an assembly which is comparatively light and may be transported easily without use of special equipment. The device is especially effective for such purposes as provision of pressure for spray painting and other small sized jobs, but is also adaptable to other uses such as a compressor for numerous devices. The compactness of the assembly and its high efficiency and low operating cost make it especially useful for numerouspurposes where heretofore heavier equipment has been used.

I have provided also a combination arrangement of diaphragm construction which is advantageous over the known art.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical side elevational view showing one embodiment of my device, a portion of the construction being indicated by dotted lines;

Figure2 is a top plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the bottom mounting ring;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, but taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 7 is a plan view taken on the line 'l-I of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, units comprising a piston diaphragm assembly being shown in sectional view;

Figure 8 is a view showing the construction of one of the sheets or leaves of the diaphragm;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional vertical elevational view showing the construction of the diaphragm assembly;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the outlet valve assemblyfor each piston diaphragm unit, and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view showing the detailed construction of a piston diaphragm unit and the assembly rings and connecting rod assembly on the motor shaft, and other details.

Referring more in detail to the construction shown in the various figures, and referring first -to the construction of Figure 1, there is provided a power means comprising a motor 30, herein shown as an electric motor of the ordinary type. This motor 36 may, however, be of any type, and the gasoline motor is advantageous for use where electric current is not readily available. The electric motor, however, lends itself to compactness.

The motor 30 is supported in th illustrated form shown, on one end, and it has the driving shaft extended upwardly past the motor ho'using on the other end forming a support for the motor, and is provided with the supporting brackets 32, 34 and 36. Preferably, there are three of these supporting brackets as a three point support is normally much more stable than any other type. In this instance, each of the supporting brackets is provided with an outturned foot portion on which may be placed rubber or metal casters such as the casters 38, 40 and 42.

On the upper end of the motor 38, there is attached a bottom mounting rin 44 (see particularly Figures 1, 3, 7 and 11) by means of bolts or the like 46 (Figures 1 and 7), which, in the embodiment herein, are passed through the holes 48 and are threaded into the motor bosses (shown in dotted lines in Figure 1) 50. This releasably holds the bottom mounting ring securely in place on the motor housing. The bottom mounting ring is shown in detail in Figure 3. It has the raised bosses or mounts (shown in detail in Figures 4, and 6) 52, 54 and 56, on which are mounted the piston-diaphragm units hereinafter explained. The boss 52 is only slightly raised above the level of the mounting ring 44, whereas the boss 54 is somewhat higher and the boss 56 is still higher. These bosses are provided as a convenient way of accommodating difference in height of the piston rods hereinafter identified and the purpose of the difference in height will be more clearly apparent as explanation of the device proceeds.

Referring next primarily to Figure 11 although some of the details are clearly apparent from other figures, I provide the piston cylinder 58 which is preferably made of a metal such as steel, but may be made of other materials since there is little or no wear thereon. This piston cylinder is mounted on the bottom mounting ring 44, being positioned on one of the mountsin this instance, mount 52. The cylinder is retained in position by any convenient means such as the bolts 60 (see Figures 7 and 11) which are passed through the holes 62 (see Figure 3) in the mounts 52, 54 or 56 as the case may be. The piston cylinder 58 is preferably provided with the cooling fins 64 as will be more clearly apparent from Figures 1 and '7. These cooling fins rapidly disperse heat generated by the compression of the air or gases and by movement of the working parts.

Referring again to Figure 11, I have provided the top mounting ring 66, herein shown as provided with mounting ring bosses 68. These mounting ring bosses 68 (one for each piston cylinder) are preferably of different height. They are" the converse of the mounts 52, 54 and 56, the Figure 11 illustrating the use of the higher boss 68 to correspond with the lower mount 52. As the height of the mount increases, the size of the boss 68 diminishes. Of course, some other equivalent arrangement, such as the provision'of washers, shims or drilled blocks may be used but itis preferable to provide th bosses and mounts on the mounting rings.

The top mounting ring 66 is held in position by means of the bolts or the like 10 as clearly apparent from Figure 11.

The diaphragm 1.2 of the piston diaphragm assembly is preferably held in place by a cylinder head I4, which presses the diaphragm 12 against the piston cylinder 58 around the outer circumference of the diaphragm 12. The cylinder head 14 is held in place by any convenient means. such as the bolts 16 (see Figure '7) The diaphragm 12 may be made of any desired material but neoprene has been found to be an excellent material for this purpose. As indicated in Figure 9, several sheets of this material are preferably placed together. In order to lubricate the sheets so that they will have long wear, it is desirable to insert a thin film of graphite or some other satisfactory lubricant between them. The hole 18 is provided for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The cylinder head His preferably provided with cooling fins 86 which disperse excessive heat rapidly and keep the gases relatively cool so that they will not expand excessively in the pumping operation. The cylinder head 14 is likewise provided with the valve opening 82- which is closed against escape of air from the piston side of the cylinder head by means of the valve 84. This valve 84 is held by spring pressure against the valve face on the inner or piston side of the cylinder head, the valve being seated in a bracket and collar portion 86, in the example shown. The cylinder head 14 is likewise provided with the outlet opening 88 whereby pumped gases escape from the cylinder. Referring to Figures 10 and 11 the escape mechanism comprises the threaded insert 88 which is externally threaded to match internal threads on the cylinder head 14. The cylinder head 14 is provided with the valve seat over the outlet opening 86 to firmly seat the valve 90. This valve 80 is placed in a chamber formed by enlarging the outlet opening 86, which chamber is internally threaded to receive the external threads on the insert 88. The valve sets between the end of the insert 88 and the opening 86,-and is preferably retained under pressure against the opening 86 by means of the spring 92. The valve, as will be clearly apparent from Figures 10 and 11, permits air to flow from the chamber 94 between th piston diaphragm and the cylinder head, but

closes against a return flow of gases through the hole 86. Thus the gases to be pumped enter through the valve opening 82 into the chamber ace-1,111

84, and are exhausted from the chamber 84 through the outlet opening 88. The threaded insert 88 is internally threaded to receive a pipe,

in this instance shown as an elbow 88, to which preferably is attached a flexible tube 88 in turn leading to the exhaust manifold I88 where the pump gases are cooled and carried to the place for their use.

The diaphragm I2 isprei'erably provided with a hole 18 (see Figure 8) and as clearly apparent from Figures 7 and 11, a piston cap I82 having a threaded stem portion preferably seated on the cylinder head side of the diaphragm with the stem portion extending therethrough and threading therethrough the piston I84. The piston I84 is provided with an orifice toreceive said stem portion of the piston cap I82, and is also provided with a piston head I86 which forms a support for the diaphragm 12 in the manner clearly apparent from the drawings. The piston I84 is drivingly connected to the motor shaft by means hereinafter explained. A motor shaft (shown in dotted lines in Figure 11) I88 is preferably provided with a ferrule II8 which has an offset shaft II2 thereon. The ferrule H8 is removaly retained in position by set screws or the like I I4 which thread through the ferrule and engage the shaft I88. The shaft I88 may have counter-sunk portions to receive the said screws II4. It is to be understood, of course, that other means of attaching the ferrule are available and will be clearly apparent from inspection, to the skilled mechanic.

The counterweight II6 preferably is provided diametrically opposite the offset shaft II2, and may be held in position by the set-screw II8. On the offset shaft II2, there is preferably provided a bearing race I28, which seats over the shaft and is held thereon by means of the bolt and washer I22. Over the bearing race there is seated a second ferrule I 24 which is provided with a shoulder portion at its top to seat against the bearing race and with a flange out-turned at th bottom to form a receiving ledge for the connecting rod I26. The connecting rod I26 preferably has an orifice in its end portion that seats over the second ferrule I24. The connecting rods of the various piston diaphragm units are thus seated over the second ferrule I24, one on top of another. Any convenient means such as the washer I28 holds the connecting rod in place on the second ferrule. The washer in turn may be held by such means as the bolt I38 which is threaded into the second ferrule I24. It is to be understood that the parts comprising the assembly last described-that is, the bearing race I28, the second ferrule I24, the connecting rod end portions I26 and the washer I28 are so seated that the offset shaft I I2 rotates therein without too much friction.

In actual operation, the device is preferably assembled as most clearly appears in Figures 1, 2 and 7. Three piston diaphragm units are a very desirable number because the driving load is substantially off of one unit before it becomes heavy on the next unit. Rotation of the motor shaft rotates the ferrule I I8 to which it is attached. This causes the offset shaft II2 to rotate inducing a thrust and return movement on the connecting rods I26 and therethrough to the piston diaphragm unit. If the piston diaphragm is moved toward the cylinder head I4, gases in the chamber 84 are forced through the outlet opening 86 passed through the valve 88 into the pipe shown herein as 86 and flexible tube 88, and

into the manifold I88 from which it is removed by the user. On the continued rotation of the offset shaft I I2 the piston moves backaway from the cylinder head causing the valve 88 to close the openings 88, and at the same time openin the valve 84 causing the material being pumped to enter the cylinder 84. As the process is continued theoperation is repeated in each piston diaphragm unit. Obviously, any number of piston diaphragm units may be arranged on the mounting rings, and if it is desired to increase or decrease the number, different mounting rings may be quickly provided and fastened into place by removing and replacing the bolts I8, the bolts 68, the bolt and washer I22 and the washer and bolt I28 and I38 respectively. It is simple to leave oil! the connecting rods from the second ferrule I24 by removing the washer I28 and the bolt I88 for repair or replacement, it being likewise simple to remove the entire piston diaphragm unit from the mounting rings by merely removing the bolts 68 and I8 and disconnecting the threaded insert 88. i i

It is thus apparent that the device is simple, is easy to repair, is relatively inexpensive, is light and has many other advantages.

The form of the invention herein shown and described presents a preferred embodiment thereof, and delineates its adaption to practical use, but it is to be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered from the illustrative standpoint and not as imposing restriction or limitation on the invention.

While I have herein shown and described certain features of my invention, still I do not wish to limit myself thereto, except as I may do so in the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a source of power, an offset shaft driven by said source of power, top and bottom mounting rings, a cylinder mounted between said top and bottom mounting rings, a diaphragm unit mounted for reciprocal. action in said cylinder, a piston mounted on said diaphragm means, a connection from said piston to said offset shaft, whereby rotation of said offset shaft moves said piston and the diaphragm on which the piston is mounted in a reciprocal action, a cylinder head mounted over one side of said diaphragm, forming with the diaphragm a chamber, air inlet means permitting passage of air into said chamber on movement of the diaphragm in a direction away from said cylinder head, and means closing the inlet means to the passage of air on movement of said diaphragm toward said cylinder head, outlet means from the chamber open to the passage of air on movement of the diaphragm towards said cylinder head, air conduit means from said air outlets to a manifold, said air conduit means comprising at least in part a flexible conduit member.

2. In combination, a source of power, an olfset shaft driven by said source of power, top and bottom mounting rings, a cylinder mounted be-- tween said top and bottom mounting rings, a diaphragm unit mounted for reciprocal action in said cylinder, 8. connection from said diaphragm to said offset shaft, whereby rotation of said offset shaft moves said diaphragm in a reciprocal action, a cylinder head mounted over one side of said diaphragm, forming with the diaphragm a chamber, air inlet means permitting passage of air into said chamber on movement of the diaphragm in a direction away from said cylinder head, and means closing the inlet bottom mounting rings, a cylinder mounted be-' tween said top and bottom mounting rings, a diaphragm unit mounted for reciprocal action in said cylinder, a connection from said diaphragm to said offset shaft, whereby rotation of said oflFset shaft moves said diaphragm in a reciprocal action, a cylinder head mounted over one side of said diaphragm, forming with the diaphragm a chamber, air inlet means -permitting passage of air into said chamber on movement of the diaphragm in a direction away from said cylinder head, and, means closing the inlet means to the passage of air on movement of said diaphragm toward said cylinder head, outlet means from the chamber open to the passage of air on movement of the diaphragm to wards said cylinder head.

4. In combination, a source of power, an offset shaft driven by said source of power, top and bottom mounting rings, a cylinder mounted between said top and bottom mounting rings,.

a, diaphragm unit mounted for reciprocal action in said cylinder, 9, connection from said diaphragm to said offset shaft, whereby rotation of said offset shaft moves said diaphragm in a "reciprocal action, a cylinder head mounted over one side of said diaphragm, forming with the diaphragm a chamber, air inlet means permitting passage of air into said chamber on movement of the diaphragm in a direction away from said cylinder head, and means closing the inlet means to the passage of air on movement of said diaphragm toward said cylinder head, outlet means from the chamber open to the passage of air on movementof the diaphragm towards said cylinder head, air conduit means from said air outlets to a manifold.

JOHN W. TUCKER. 

